Brooklyn, NY - Supporters of Sholom Rubashkin asked, this week, for more signatures on an on-line White House petition calling for an investigation into allegations of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct in Rubashkin’s appeal of a 27-year sentence for fraud in connection with the operation of the Agriprocessors kosher meat-processing plant in Postville, Iowa.
While the petition’s more than 50,000 signatures represent ten times the number originally required for presidential consideration, Rubashkin’s backers say a last push before Saturday’s deadline was needed to show that people are taking the matter seriously.
A request for a probe into the case has been made by 47 Members of the House of Representatives, as well as 75 law professors and former federal attorneys, including three former Deputy Attorneys General.
Let me be the one who will pour water on this petition. The fact is that during the oral argument in the appellate court, the Chief Judge asked Lewin if he could cite even one for example were there was any misconduct by the Judge or prosecution. Lewin explicitly stated that no he could not cite even one alleged misconduct. How is it possible that 50,000 ill-informed signers just signed a petition to the President of the United States imploring that he opens an investigation into the alleged Judges’ misconduct?
ReplyDeleteAs much as I hope Smr goes free, I don't like the way in which he is doing it.
ReplyDeleteThe supreme court is unlikely to take a case which might have had malicious prosecution. It is not a monumental issue of great national importance that the supreme court would be interested in.
On the other hand, heavy sentence for white collar crime is very significant. A life sentence for lying to a bank? This is disturbing and is worth of us supreme court action. With this, smr's struggle can help many people and many Jews similarly situated facing a disproportionate jail sentence for an exercise in poor judgment which may have been caused by the need to pay high tuition or G-d knows what else.
A vendetta against the judge and prosecutors, however, is unlikely to succeed IMHO.